The 2016 Standard for Sex and Gender Variables has yet to incorporate some key recommendations made to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) by LGBTIQ+ Health Australia and participating community organisations.
After three years of direct engagement with the ABS, our Manager of Research & Policy, Dr. Gávi Ansara, explains the concept of data integrity and provides an overview of some key data integrity gaps in Australian standards for collecting sex and gender information. The paper identifies some evidence-based solutions that would address these data integrity gaps and meet the needs identified in our community consultations. A white paper is a brief report designed to inform readers about a complex issue. This white paper is intended as a continuation of Australia’s ongoing conversation about how we can improve data collection and align more closely with evidence-based best practice.
We hope this white paper will stimulate the well-informed, evidence-based conversations that lead to effective policy change and improved health outcomes.